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This is what mental illness looks like

Southern Pessimist
@SouthernPessimist
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A friend for over thirty years reached out to Mrs. Pessimist to understand why she liked Trump. My wife wrote back with an optimistic assessment of what she saw. Her friend, who has been a very successful executive in the healthcare industry, sent back this rant:

I am watching Fox News regularly now to understand Trump supporters' perspective and to see if I can find a truthful path to understanding what Trump is doing beyond revenge, retribution, and controlling the news, and therefore his supporters with conspiracy theories, fear mongering non-truths, name calling, and, frankly, anger and bullying. And, I can factually say that most of what comes from Fox News is spin and there is alot of "real" news not covered. Trump and the right wing media have created a non-truthful universe to control voters and the public. I know you love Fox News and are no doubt offended by this comment. I just wanted to share my honest perspective. I am unable to find the allegiance to truth and universal good in Donald Trump and the MAGA movement based on facts. Pundits spin, right wing apologists, rationalizers, yes, it's there. I take great comfort in knowing you have steadfast faith in Trump and I am guessing Project 2025 which is being implemented although Trump denied knowing anything about it repeatedly in interviews before election. I guess that lie would be labeled smart politics?! So we believe in two different realities. Quite crazy making for me as there is only one fact, one truth. It will be interesting to see how history is written during these times. I can only look forward to the 2026 elections (if Trump allows them and they aren't tampered with) and see what voters vote for. I hope the USA I know and love can survive the next few years. Evolve? Yes, of course. Be destroyed by Project 2025, I pray daily that won't happen. I hope you and your family are doing well.














Many years ago I had a close friend who suffered from bipolar manic depression. His rambling ideations were very similar. Who knew that Project 2025 was the cause of everything evil in the world?

This post was promoted to the Main Feed at the recommendation of Ricochet's members.

Discussion (65)

  • E. Kent Golding@EKentGolding

    Times are stressful. Both the left and the right try to make things more stressful to provoke people into ill thought out decisions and panic. Best to focus on what one can personally control, and to spend time thinking.

    I haven't read Project 2025. If I did, I suspect I would find it benign and reasonable.

  • Django@Django

    One can try the experiment I did a couple of years ago. Listen to NPR/PBS for one week. The next week, go with "talk radio" and conservative news sources. You will think the reports originated in different countries. The gap can't be bridged.

  • Percival@Percival

    Your friend has been lied to about the Pee-Pee Tape, about Russian collusion, about "very fine people" at Charlottesville, about Trump telling people to drink bleach, about Covid-19 originating in a wet market, about the Border Patrol whipping illegals from horseback, about the noose in Bubba Wallace's garage, about Hunter's laptop, about the efficacy of the Covid vaccines, about the safety of the Covid vaccines, about the "Bloodbath" ... his reality is a lot more flexible than he imagines it to be.

  • Django@Django
    ReplyingtoPercival

    Percival (View Comment):

    Your friend has been lied to about the Pee-Pee Tape, about Russian collusion, about “very fine people” at Charlottesville, about Trump telling people to drink bleach, about Covid-19 originating in a wet market, about the Border Patrol whipping illegals from horseback, about the noose in Bubba Wallace’s garage, about Hunter’s laptop, about the efficacy of the Covid vaccines, about the safety of the Covid vaccines, about the “Bloodbath” … his reality is a lot more flexible than he imagines it to be.

    I have an acquaintance who says that David Brooks is his "guru" for social issues and Paul Krugman is his "guru" for economic issues. Reads the NYTimes religiously and considers himself well informed. I suspect he listens to NPR as well. He had no idea about Biden's mental decline at all. Uniformed on significant issues, misinformed on everything else.

  • Chris O@ChrisO

    Combine this post with the @keithlowery post on JD Vance and you have the answer. Mrs. Pessimist's friend likely encountered some assertions that, if believed, would mean she made sub-optimal choices in what to believe was good policy, and who to believe when it comes to news reporting. She recognizes spin on the right, that's good, but won't acknowledge it as a possibility in her news sources? That's not a logical position.

    Anyway, I was going to comment on the other thread about the aggressive response received anytime you even inadvertently cause doubt in others' choices. It's happened to me here on Ricochet as well. Mrs. P's friend's response strikes me as the same.

    An angry response suggests that someone is not secure in their perspective.

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